We are proud to announce that Sequoia Austin will be our Keynote Speaker at the national conference this July in St. Louis! Sequoia Austin is an educational consultant and former school leader based in the Washington, DC area. With experience as a teacher, Director of Student Culture, and Assistant Principal, she has led instructional and cultural shifts in diverse school communities focused on equity, restorative practices, and sustainable leadership systems.

Sequoia earned her undergraduate degree in Neurobiology & Physiology and a Master’s in Education from the University of Maryland. Throughout her leadership roles, she supported schools in clarifying high-priority goals, strengthening implementation structures, and coaching educators toward more focused and aligned practice.

Today, Sequoia partners with school and district leaders to reduce initiative overload and bring clarity to complex work. Her approach bridges mindset, systems thinking, and practical implementation—helping leaders move from urgency-driven decision-making to intentional, sustainable progress.

A former Division I walk-on basketball player, she brings the discipline and resilience of high-performance environments into educational leadership spaces. Her speeches and sessions are known for their clarity, honesty, and actionable insight, equipping leaders with both perspective and next steps.

We hope you will join us in St. Louis to be inspired by her experience, energized by her spirit, and empowered to put into practice what you learn from the conference.